Telephonic switch apparatus



(No Model.) l H. W. COZZENS'.

TELEPHONE-SWITCH APPARATUS. v I No. 258,894. Patented June 6,1882;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. COZZENS, OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TELEPHONIC SWITCH APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 258,894, dated June 6, 1882.

Application filed October 16,1880. (No model.)

ings.

it has been common in telephone-stationapparatus to provide a switch which,when turned in one direction, connects the call-bell to the line and cuts out the telephone, and when turned in the other direction connects the telephone to the line and cuts out the call-bell.

In the use of this apparatus it has been found in practice that after the switch has been movedto connect the telephone to the line, the person using the telephone often fails, through forgetfulness or otherwise, after having finished speaking, to restore the switch to its normal position in which the line is con nected to the call-bell.

The object of the present invention is to prevent this omission; and to this end the invention consists in placing the telephone support or hookin such relation to the switch and so constructing said switch that after the latter has been moved to the position that it has when the telephone is connected to the line it will form an obstruction to the replacement of the telephone upon its support, so that the telephone cannot be hun g up without moving the switch. 1

The accompanying drawings illustrate the manner in which the principle of my invention can be carried into effect, and is especially adapted to a telephone of the size and shape commonly in use but I do not confine myself to the device there shown, as the form in which the invention will be embodied in practice will depend upon the form of the telephone and the telephone-support, and also upon the form of the switch.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a front, and Fig. 2 a side, elevation of a telephonic apparatus embodying the invention.

A is the box or case; E, the contact-plate for connecting in the signal-bell B, and F the contact-plate for the telephone D.

G is a metallic lever-switch connected toline, for bringing in either the call-bell B or telephone D. Attached to this switch-lever is a projecting handle, H.

I is the telephone-hook placed as shown,

close to and a little above and to one side of the contact-plate F, so that while the switchlever G is in contact with. said plate F the handle H will-prevent the hanging of the telephone on its book, and consequently the switchlever G must be moved far enough to the left to disconnect the telephone from the line before the telephone can be replaced upon its hook.

When the telephone is hanging upon its hook, as shown in Fig. 1, the switch-lever G cannot be moved into contact with plate F, so that the telephone cannot be connected to line so long as it remains upon hook I.

The stop e prevents the switch-lever being moved so far to the left as to break the contact with plate E, and the hook I acts as a stop to prevent the movement of the switch beyond plate F.

It is obvious that the handle of the switch may be so enlarged and thecontact-plates be placed so close together that with any given telephone the telephone cannot be hung on the hook until the switch has not only been moved away from knob F,but so far as to make contact with knob E.

WhatI claim as my invention. and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,

1. The combination, with the call-bell and telephone circuits and their contact-plates, of a switch-lever having a knob or handle, and a telephone-hook so placed with reference to the contact-plate of the telephone-circuit that when the switch is on said contact-plate its knob or handle will be under and to one side of said hook, and present an obstacle to the hanging of the telephone thereon, substantially as described. M

2. The combination, with the contact-plate of the telephone-circuit and a switch-lever, of a telephone book or support so placed with reference to said contact-plate that said switchlever cannot be moved into contact therewith so long as the telephone is on said hook or support, substantially as described.

'In'witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 14th day of October, 1880, in presence of the subscribing witnesses.

HENRY W. OOZZENS.

Witnesses W. O. ToMPKINs, T. A. WATSON. 

